WHAM BAM THANK YOU MAN
Fan told me in front of her boyfriend that I’d given her best eight minutes of her life ..
Ryan Edwards may not have brought the Scottish Cup back to Gorgie – but he did give one doting Hearts fan the best eight minutes of her life.
The Aussie ace just can’t believe she admitted it in front of her boyfriend.
Edwards is growing accustomed to increased adulation from the maroon half of Edinburgh after finding the net in the showpiece against Celtic last month.
For a brief period, it seemed like Craig Levein’s men were destined to scupper the Hoops’ treble Treble bid before Odsonne Eduoard bagged a double to secure a 2-1 triumph for the all-conquering Glasgow giants.
Nevertheless, it was a moment Edwards will always treasure and, as he has swiftly learned, is destined to live long in the memories of Hearts supporters.
The 25-year-old smiled: “I’ve been recognised a few times before.
“It happened occasionally in Australia when I played for my home city team, Perth Glory.
“Then, at Partick Thistle, I would always get fans come up for a chat. After all, I was a tanned, foreign boy with a ponytail, living in Glasgow. I didn’t blend in!
“But it has def initely been more common in Edinburgh since scoring that goal. The strangest one was probably the Monday after the cup final. I was at the airport for a 6am flight and a couple came up to me for a photograph. “The girl said, ‘Ryan, that was the best eight minutes of my life’. “I was standing there like, ‘ You do realise you are standing next to your partner, right?’ It was early in the morning and I was half asleep, so that was an odd one.
“I’ve watched the goal back so many times. I love the commentary and the camera angle that shows the fans going crazy.
“I’ve had comments on social media, I get stopped on the streets, with fans saying, ‘ Thanks for giving us hope that we were about to win the Cup’. “Coming from Australia, I maybe didn’t realise just how big that was. It’s
the oldest cup competition in the world and it was only during the off- season that I got the chance to realise it was quite a big thing.”
Against all odds, Edwards has attained cult hero status among Hearts supporters who appreciate the tireless tenacity of his midfield work and the character he showed to battle back from the wilderness to earn his spot in the Jambos’ biggest fixture in seven years.
A signing from Partick last summer, he was swi f tly deemed surplus to requirements and farmed out on loan to St Mirren. Even when he returned to Tynecastle in January, he had to wait until the end of April before making his debut.
Now, he look like a man keen to make up for lost time ahead of reporting for Hearts’ pre-season training camp in Ireland tomorrow.
Edwards said: “I wanted the season to keep going.
“The cup final was my fifth appea rance and a f ter f inishing on such a high, personally, I just wanted to keep playing.
“I’m raring to go and want t o keep mak ing tha t impression and be in the manager’s thoughts. I never go into a game or a training session, saying, ‘I’m going to prove the people who doubt me wrong’.
“I know I’m good enough to play in the Premiership and cup finals and be one of the guys who can make an impact.
“I’ve had to work pretty hard for it but now I just want to take that momentum into the new season.”
Edwards could find himself with sizeable boots to fill, should fellow box- to- box ace Arnaud Djoum decide his future lies away from Tynecastle.
The Cameroon international ist, currently starring at the African Cup of Nations, is out of contract this summer and is weighing up his future, with a standing offer on the table to stay on in Edinburgh. Edwards added: “Replacing Arnaud would be difficult. He is a massive fans’ favourite and an international footballer. “He was a big player for us and it would be great for him to come back, although it looks like he might move on. “Maybe that will free up a midfield spot or perhaps the manager will look to replace him.
“However, I’d love to be one of the f irst midfielders names on the manager’s team-sheet.
“I will try to force my way into the manager’s plans and be the player he can rely on. “Arnaud was playing a lot of different roles in the midfield and I think I can do that as well.”
I’ve watched the goal so many times .. I love the angle that shows fans going crazy